Rainfall deficiencies intensify and spread in eastern Australia

rainfall deficiencies have
spread and intensified across areas of New South Wales and southern
Queensland as a result of rather poor to record low
autumn
rainfall, the Bureau of Meteorology announced today. This is the sixth
successive year that significant parts of southeastern Australia have
recorded a dry autumn, with the most commonly affected area being the
southern half of NSW. The southwest of Western Australia has also experienced
below to very much below average rainfall this autumn, with record low
totals near the coast.

3-month rainfall deficiencies

For the 3-month period from March to May,
severe rainfall deficiencies, with patches of lowest on record, spread
inland from the central NSW coast to near Nymagee in the centre of that
State. The ACT and areas near Albury are included in this swathe. A
smaller region on the coast north of Newcastle is also affected, as are
districts to the west and northwest of Brisbane in southeast Queensland.

In WA, a broad coastal strip from north of Geraldton to Cape Leeuwin had
serious to severe deficiencies for autumn, with a region of driest on
record immediately south of Perth.

5-month rainfall deficiencies

For the 5-month period from January to May,
similar areas are affected, although with some important differences. In
eastern Queensland, the deficits extend a little further north to near
Rockhampton, while patches in far southwest Queensland and far northwest
NSW are also affected. In the southeast of the country, deficiencies are evident somewhat
further west into the Riverina, and also further south into northeast
Victoria. The far northeast corner of Tasmania is also experiencing
deficits for this period.